Haunted Life
by ravenclaw pupil
Summary: An Albanian girl's memories are defined by this one fateful month.
1. The Painful Past

**Chapter ****1 – July 1992******

Marjana Kadare is cold.  Although it isn't the complete disregard for humanity that one sees in a Death Eater, this is a demeanor shaped by a war of ethnic cleansing where innocents are murdered in the streets by submachine guns.  This is a place where people are driven out of their homes and left to starve simply because of the geographical history of their families.  Through Marjana's eyes, this is the Muggle world she knows.

Albania is a country to find people fuelled by fear, hatred, and anger; the breeding ground ideal for Death Eaters.  While the population of the magical community is small, it is also tightly knit.  A distinct enclave of witches and wizards exist in the capital, Tirana.  The rest are spread out among the rural areas of Albania, preferring solitude as their security.  

Marjana's two friends are her mother Lejla and her best friend Ceca.  Anjeza, her older sister, isn't heard from too often - unless a particularly courageous owl delivers the post and updates the family on her recent academic achievements or notable events occurring at Hogwarts.  Marjana doesn't get along well with the other children because they are too complacent in their naivety of the world.  They see everything in black and white, good and bad.  Lejla's occupation as an Auror has taught Marjana that the spectrum between black and white holds a great many other shades with which to categorize people.  Catching criminal witches and wizards is a difficult task because channels like the ones Muggle police use are not as accessible to an Auror.  DNA identifying technology isn't used in the wizarding world.  There certainly are alternative contacts for the magical world, but the process is often complicated via magical means.  Subterfuge with the use of spells makes detection a far more daunting task.  Throughout the Balkan conflict, the horror of war is taking its toll on a young mind - Marjana is forced to assume a maturity far beyond the average eleven year old.  

As the situation stands, the Third Balkan War is taking place all over Yugoslavia while the nation disintegrates.  Croatia and Slovenia are fighting a violent battle to gain their independence as Serbians run as far as they can to escape the ethnic purge.  Each ethnicity is pitted against one another due to distrust and the severe escalation of violence driven predominantly by Slobodan Milosevic.  Living in Albania, Marjana and Lejla Kadare are fairly safe in their home country.  The situation is different for Ceca Stojanovic and her family because as Serbians, many others see them as a threat to the sovereignty of various regions of Yugoslavia.

This bond between an Albanian and a Serbian family is particularly dangerous in the unstable region of Yugoslavia, but it is the least of their worries.  In the Muggle world they represent solidarity in two ethnicities, but in the wizarding world this is irrelevant.   Death Eaters have no interest in genealogy unless it is defined in terms of pureblood or Muggle birthright.  Fortunately for both the Kadares and the Stojanovics, their lineage can be traced through dozens of generations of pureblooded wizards.  This keeps them safe from persecution solely based on blood, but the other side of the weathered, rusty coin is quite different.  Lejla is an Auror and is considered to be an extremely significant threat to the rise of Lord Voldemort.  While his whereabouts remain unknown, there is a general consensus that he has again fled deep into the forest somewhere in Albania since his defeat at the hands of Harry Potter.

Tom Marvolo Riddle's life force once resided in various animals as he dwelled in the darkness of the wood's thick undergrowth.  By happenstance, on a journey to bolster his skills in defending against the Dark Arts, a weak minded Professor Quirell wandered into the forest to discover the Dark Lord.  He was recruited as a symbiotic host to return to Hogwarts in an attempt to acquire the Philosopher's Stone created by Nicholas Flamel.  The charm Lily Potter left on her son before her demise allowed him to be protected from the effects of Lord Voldemort's Dark Magic when receiving the Stone from the Mirror of Erised.  Voldemort was ultimately stripped of his power to inhabit Professor Quirell and many in the wizarding community surmise that he has fled back to the Albanian forest he previously resided in.

This leaves Aurors like Lejla Kadare in an uncomfortable position.  Death Eaters have undoubtedly heard of his brief reappearance and are now seeking to serve by his side once again.  Affiliated with those who are making great efforts to imprison everyone loyal to Lord Voldemort, witches like Lejla are in grave danger of being hunted first before he is found.  The more that Aurors and their associates perish, the greater the chances that there will be little interference when Voldemort makes his final ascendancy into the full might of his Dark power.

The Kadares and the Stojanovics are in their current predicament because of the twisted combination of an ethnic war and a power-hungry wizard who seeks the total destruction of all that refuse to bow to his will.  They must be wary of the Muggles who are out to rid Yugoslavia of Serbians and tread even more lightly around anyone who mentions Lord Voldemort by name.  

The two families live near the southern edge of Albania's capital as a necessary precaution.  If they must flee, wading through streets infested with terror-stricken citizens will not make for an easy departure.   A small false wall has been constructed out of concrete to match the existing décor in the case flight is not an option.  In addition, the Kadare's small apartment has protection spells on it for any wizards intruding with ill intent.  Despite Marjana's young age, her mother has gone to great lengths to ensure that she be equipped with the most useful of defensive spells in the event that Death Eaters or invading rebels attack.  As an Auror, Lejla's deductive and investigative prowess have served her well in apprehending felons; she has imparted this knowledge onto Marjana in hopes that it will be to her benefit when enrolling at Hogwarts.  It is now the summer before Marjana's first year and all she has to do is make it through this last month before waiting at Platform 9 ¾ to ride the Hogwart's Express with her best friend Ceca.  Both of them are nervous with anticipation for all the wonderful things that are to come.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Marjana was cooking herself a breakfast of scrambled eggs and sausage.  She stifled a yawn as she rolled the meat around in the crackling oil.  With her mother's old Transfiguration textbook propped open and leaning against the spice rack, she split her attention between it and the meal she was cooking.  Marjana sipped her orange juice and thought about what she would do today.  

_I haven't heard any shelling or gunfire this morning… I could take a walk outside with Ceca and enjoy some fresh air.  Mom should be back before dinner; she said she would stop by Diagon Alley on her way back from work and pick up a few things.  I ought to practice a few spells, just so she doesn't get on my case for falling behind in my studies._

The smell of a hot-cooked breakfast made Marjana smile.  The gas lines running through their apartment block weren't entirely dependable, so she took every opportunity to use the stovetop.  Luckily the electrical lines and plumbing ran more efficiently and only succumbed to failure a fraction of the time.  Sitting down with her plate, Marjana looked out the window caked with soot.  A third story view only gave her the ability to see the building across the street.  Still, it was a window and it offered her a glimpse outside the bland, grey architecture that was the apartment she had lived in these past several years.  

Marjana ate her eggs and sausage, finished her orange juice, washed off the plate, glass, and fork, and set them on the rack to dry in the cool air.  She retrieved her ebony wand with the holly handle from the bedroom and took a defensive stance in the middle of the open space near the table.  

"_Protego_!"  A half-sphere shimmered in front of her as she spoke the word to summon the shield charm.

Marjana whirled around to the drying rack, concentrated on the glass and spoke again.  

"_Accio_glass!"  It shivered and flew in her direction.  Quickly catching it with her left hand, she carefully laid it on the table.  Marjana walked to the door that separated the bedroom from the kitchen, closed it, and locked it.  She couldn't practice on the door entering the apartment because it would set off the protective spell and she wasn't prepared to be electrocuted this early in the morning.  

"_Alohamora_!"  Marjana heard the button pop out on the other end of the door handle.  She turned the knob and opened it.

Casting _Stupefy_ or _Expelliarmus_ was out of the question because she didn't have a human subject to focus on.  She could try it with Ceca, but Marjana really didn't want to risk accidentally overpowering her friend.  There wasn't any supervision around and the three spells she had just cast were sufficient enough of a review for the time being.  Nodding to herself, Marjana slid her wand into her jeans pocket, snatched the keys off of the kitchen table, and walked out of the apartment.  She locked the door and mumbled the word her mother had told her for activating the magical barrier.  The hallway was drabber than the interior of the apartment.  The halogen lights flickered; some didn't even function.  It was still home, though.  Marjana walked down to the end of the hall where her friend Ceca would undoubtedly still be wrapped up tightly in her blankets, hiding from the ever-brightening sun as it crept over the roofs of Tirana's massive concrete buildings.  

A knock sounded in the other room.  Ceca's mother smoothed out her plain cotton dress, set the book down she was reading, and stood up from her chair to answer the door.  A girl with her gaze lowered to the tile was standing in the hall.  The ear-length jet-black hair was slightly unkempt and she put it behind her ears as she greeted Ceca's mother in Albanian.  Marjana knew that using Serbian anywhere besides the closest confines of the Stojanovics' home would bring unwanted repercussions immediately.  Mrs. Stojanovic smiled at Marjana.  The girl was wearing a simple, olive green long sleeved shirt and jeans; it looked like she was ready to head outside with Ceca.

"How are you this morning, Marjana?"  Marjana looked up at her with the icy blue eyes that were her defining physical characteristic and cracked a small smile.  She replied in a timid voice.

"Alright.  Just got done practicing some spells so my mom doesn't get on my case."

Mrs. Stojanovic stepped aside of the doorway and let Marjana in.  Closing the door, Vesna nudged her daughter Ceca, who was sleeping on the couch, and walked back to the book on her chair that was patiently waiting her return.  Ceca grumbled and rolled over to face Marjana who had kneeled down to be level with the tangled mass of dark hair that was Ceca's head.  

"Morning, sunshine…  It _is_ still morning, right?"  Ceca moved the thick comforter away from her mouth and smiled at her friend.  Marjana's expression lightened as she saw the warmth Ceca exuded in her face.

"Yeah, it's about ten-thirty.  Are you doing anything today?"  Marjana hoped she wasn't.

"Well, unless my mom has something for me to do, then no.  What about you?"

"I wanted to just take a walk around Tirana for a while… Nothing too exciting, I know, but it's still something to do.  Want to come with me?"

"Sure… Mom, are we doing anything today?"  Ceca directed her question at the other room while she sat up and ran her fingers through a clump of hair.

"I need to go to the market, but you don't have to come if you don't want to."  

"Well, looks like that's settled… Just give me a chance to shower and eat some breakfast and we can go, ok?"  Ceca stood up, adjusted her pajama bottoms and headed to the bathroom.  Marjana sat on the couch and picked up a discarded magazine printed in Albanian; one more aspect of Stojanovic life that had to be guarded for fear that material evidence would be used against the family.

Twenty minutes later, Ceca sat on the couch with a plate of warm bread and sliced tomatoes.  In between bites she carried on a conversation with Marjana.

"Have you been to Diagon Alley yet to get all your books?  I just got the Owl Post a little while ago… We should go together if you haven't gone."

Marjana looked up from the magazine.  "My mom wanted me to wait until she had some more free time to take me… I think we're going soon, though.  You're more than welcome to come I'm sure she won't mind."

"OK.  I just don't want to wait until the last minute, especially if for some reason they don't have enough books for all the first-years."  Ceca was always preparing for the worst scenario.  It annoyed Marjana every once in a while, but for the most part she was glad that someone maintained the flexibility to look at every extreme.

Ceca dabbed at the last of the tomato residue with the remaining piece of bread and walked to the sink to wash off her plate.  "So, anywhere in particular you want to go?  Tirana's a big city, I hope you don't plan on walking through _all_ of it today."

Marjana giggled slightly.  Ceca was one of the few people that could put a smile on her face like that.  "No, no… Nothing like that.  Maybe through the markets, sit in a café.  Nowhere too _dangerous_, I promise."  Marjana winked, knowing full well that safety would be a primary concern of Ceca's when wandering the streets of Tirana.  Not that carelessness was something Marjana was notorious for, but she certainly didn't give everything as much thought as her best friend.  Instinct and reaction were far more important in Marjana's opinion.  

Ceca made a face and stuck out her tongue; Marjana was poking fun at her for the goody-two shoes nature she often prided herself on.  "Shall we go?"

"Yep, do you have any money?"  Marjana quickly checked her pockets to make sure she had remembered to bring some coins for the café and market if she found something that caught her eye while perusing the bazaar.  

"I've got about one-hundred leks, what about you?"

Marjana opened her hand and sorted through the change.  "One-hundred and fifty.  Between the two of us, that's plenty."

Ceca nodded and started for the door.  "Mom, we're going out to a café… Be back in a few hours, OK?"

Mrs Stojanovic murmured her approval and told Ceca not to be out too late because her father was expecting her home for dinner.  

The two walked to the end of the dim hallway, down the crumbling concrete stairs, and outside into the dry heat of Albania.  The stagnant air was a little uncomfortable, but it was a change from the confines of the apartment complex, a welcome change regardless of the weather.  

Ceca and Marjana walked towards the market district and took turns kicking a few stones around until they spotted a quaint café on the outskirts of the bazaar.  It had a colorful awning and several circular tables on the veranda.  Marjana's eyes lit up when they fell upon the picturesque setting.  She grabbed Ceca's hand and ran across the street to sit at a table.  Drumming her fingers, Marjana anxiously anticipated someone to take her order.  

A minute later a waiter came outside and clasped his hands.  "What can I get for you two girls?"  

"Coffee."

"Fruit juice, something with grapefruit, preferably."

"Alright, I'll be back shortly with your drinks."  The waiter stiffly walked back into the café, activated the coffee machine and filled a cup, setting it on a white plate.  He took a pitcher out from the refrigerator and poured a glass of fruit juice for Ceca.  With a beverage in each hand, he stepped out from behind the counter to head for the veranda and serve the pair of girls.

That's when Marjana saw the man with the black cloth handkerchief over his mouth, the military fatigues, and the thick boots stalking down the middle of the street. 

He was pointing an assault rifle towards the café.


	2. A Mother's Vulnerability

Marjana's reaction was instantaneous.  She kicked the table at Ceca to knock her over while using her own momentum to fall backwards in the chair.  As Marjana's arms spread out and her head hit the concrete, the report from the assault rifle could be heard.  The waiter's body shook from the impact of high velocity rounds and slid down the wall with a dull thud.  His limp, bleeding body crunched glass shards on the ground as he smeared the blood spatters behind him.  

"Ceca, run and get your mom!  I'll distract him!"  Marjana hoisted herself up with the aid of the chair and ran to the alley on the side of the café.  Out of the view of any bystanders, she pointed her wand directly at the masked man's rifle.  "_Expelliarmus_!"  The gun was ripped from his hands and sailed into the air.

The diversion was enough for Ceca.  She scrambled to her feet and took off at a sprint for the apartment building.  Dashing up the stairs, she threw the door open and took several deep, panting breaths before explaining the situation to her mother.  

"Mom… Marjana … man with a gun… trouble!"  It was enough for Vesna to bolt upright, grab her wand and head out the door with Ceca in tow.

The man dressed in fatigues fumbled for his rifle and shouted a guttural phrase in Serbian.  He retrieved the gun and squeezed off a burst at the alley.  The bullets ricocheted off the building and left pockmarks behind.  Screaming in frustration, he stomped towards the passage with the assault rifle trained to shoot at the slightest movement.  

"Can you hear me little girl?  Your kind needs to be erased from this earth!  Expect to die by the vengeance found in this weapon!"  The man was speaking with the utmost revulsion; a disgruntled rebel who had taken it upon himself to seek some sort of retribution.  He gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes, searching for Marjana among the dumpsters and trash in the corridor.  The leather boots nudged a bag of refuse near the container she was hiding in.  Marjana choked back tears and focused on collecting herself.  She prepared to make a quick attack and run with every ounce of strength she could muster.

The stench of the garbage was overpowering and made Marjana's eyes water.  The Serbian stood in front of the overturned bin and began prodding bags of trash at random.  Before he could reach the wastebasket Marjana kicked out, aiming for the center of his kneecap.  Her mother had taught her all about incapacitating an attacker; this was one of the most effective methods.    A snap could be heard as the Serbian male staggered and grabbed his damaged knee.

Before Marjana could slip past in his brief lapse of attention, a hand reached out and grabbed her ankle, pulling her to the ground.  Her head collided with a pile of discarded newspapers and was temporarily dazed.  She tried to shake it off and get up, but he had already recovered enough to pin her down and rest the barrel of the assault rifle on her temple.  Marjana started to tremble.  She had no idea if Ceca was coming back with help.  

There was a twisted gleam in the eyes of the Serbian who was straddling Marjana.  She tried to wriggle out from under him, but his free hand was now squeezing her throat.   Gasping for oxygen, his tightened grip was slowly making Marjana lose consciousness.  

"I'm gonna make this _real_ painful for you… I don't want you to miss a minute of it!"  His gaze bored through Marjana as she shut her eyes tight and reached for the holly handle of her wand.  He lifted up the handkerchief for a sharp intake of her female scent.  A hot, sticky breeze was washing over her face as the Serbian man breathed heavily an inch away from her.  He carefully put down the rifle and slid his hand under Marjana's shirt.  Groping around until his sweaty fingers rested on her chest, he exhaled in satisfaction.  Her pants were slowly unzipped and tugged to her calves.  Marjana was gripped with overpowering fear as the Serbian slipped his hand beneath her underwear.

Marjana wasn't about to let this man violate her any further.  Head-butting the Serbian, his grip loosened and allowed a gasp of air to pass through her esophagus.  She pressed her wand against his forehead and screamed as loud as she could.  "_Stupefy_!"  Marjana summoned all the anger the atrocities of war had left to fester in her mind.  Recalling the times where she witnessed the Yugoslav Army locking families in their homes and burning them alive, she channeled the last of her mental energy and sent him crashing into the wall.  

Her power wouldn't be enough to incapacitate him permanently, but it would give Marjana enough of a window to make an escape and hopefully reach the safety of her apartment.  She pushed the garbage off her and stood up.  Taking off at a run, Marjana made it to the middle of the street and found Ceca and her mother dashing out of their building.  Vesna caught Marjana in her arms and rocked her back and forth to calm her down.  

"It's OK… Everything's OK Marjana.  You're safe now."  

Marjana didn't really believe Mrs. Stojanovic as fingers ran gently through her tangled jet-black hair.  She had nearly been raped, but for some reason it did not affect her in the fashion she expected it would.  It just felt like one more event to throw into the corked amber glass bottle in Marjana's chest - her receptacle for every negative emotion.  Her mind swept the vehemence and shame aside to leave her in her usual detached state.

After Mrs. Stojanovic released Marjana from her embrace, Marjana realized that her olive green shirt was still bunched up below her breasts.  Quickly pulling the material back down to her waist, she brushed some of the dirt off to cover up her action.  She looked at Ceca and made a weak attempt at a smile.  The luster in her glacial blue eyes had faded.

"Come on honey, let's go back to the apartment."  Vesna put her hand on Marjana's back and led her through the street to the entrance of the building.  With a look on her face that resembled defeat, Marjana meekly walked to the door.  

In the Stojanovics' apartment, Ceca sat down on the couch and wrapped her arms around Marjana's shoulders.  Ceca tilted her head and gave Marjana a pained expression.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?  He didn't hurt you, did he?"  

Marjana swallowed.  There was no sense in withholding the truth from her best friend.  She checked to make sure that Mrs. Stojanovic had given them some privacy and whispered to Ceca.  Marjana told Ceca as much as she could bear to recollect, leaving out the more graphic details involving the violation of her body.  "I can still feel him thrust on top of me with his moist breath covering my face."

"Oh, Marjana!"  Ceca squeezed her tight and sniffled.  "My mom called the police so he won't have another chance to do something more horrible."  She removed one of her arms from Marjana's shoulder to hold her hand reassuringly.  "We're here.  No one is coming to hurt you again."

"You know that's not true, Ceca.  This is Tirana… It's a city filled with hostile people who are part of a war that they don't even understand.  All that drives them is an ethnic hatred that spans centuries of Balkan history.  People just want someone to hate, a scapegoat.  You and me, we're caught in the middle because we happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.  I really can't take this anymore.  I need this month to be over, and I need to be at Hogwarts with you.  Studying, having fun with other witches and wizards.  Definitely _not_ being shot at and _not_ living in a city where rebels attack and rape innocent girls." 

Marjana had reached her breaking point.  The day was supposed to be enjoyed with a casual walk through the bazaar and a leisurely drink at a café.  Instead it erupted in violence with a dead waiter and an emotionally damaged young girl.  Marjana went back to her apartment, closed and locked the door, shuffled to her room, and shut out the world by enveloping herself in blankets.

Lejla Kadare disabled the magical barrier and entered the apartment.  "Marjana?  Are you home?  I picked up some things from Diagon Alley after work.  I spent all day talking to these people in Tunisia to track someone down who has been stirring up all kinds of trouble for the Ministry of Magic."  Lejla looked around the kitchen and found no trace of her daughter.  She walked into the bedroom and saw the sheets coiled up around Marjana to resemble a teepee.  "Are you cold?  Marjana, what's wrong?"  

Marjana really wasn't in the mood for a lecture or whatever it was she would receive as a result of telling her mother the events of the last few hours.  Then again, she knew that withholding information of this magnitude would have far more dire consequences than any anger or pain Marjana was harboring.  She explained to her mother what had transpired in the last few hours.  Marjana could still feel his groping hands trying to succeed in defiling her body.

Lejla's eyes widened in horror. Her daughter has just told her something terrible, and it was all because she spent her days apprehending criminals as an Auror and not taking care of Marjana.  "Oh no, Marjana… My baby!"  Lejla dropped her bags, tore off the blankets covering Marjana and took her daughter's head to her chest.  "Please say you're all right."  Visions of a masked assailant brutalizing her child made Lejla feel completely weak and helpless.  For all the good she had done the wizard community in arresting murderers, thieves, and other unsavory characters she was worthless as a mother in protecting Marjana from people like the Serbian man while she was out doing her job.

"Yeah Mom, _Stupefy_ was enough to knock him unconscious while I ran away.  Everything you taught me gave me split-second reactions that saved both Ceca and me."

Lejla stroked her daughter's head.  It was wonderful that the training she had put Marjana through had been effective.  "I'm so sorry that happened, I don't know what I can do but say how much I hate what this place has become."  Lejla swallowed the bile that was slowly rising in her throat.  A pained look seized her face as she thought of the rampant injustices of their war-ridden city.  This was one of those atrocities Lejla always remembered hearing from tearful parents who spoke of how vulnerable it made them feel, but she always knew in the back of her mind that her family would be free from such a horror.

A palm stroked Marjana's cheek as she lightly sobbed.  Lejla took Marjana's head in her hand and gently laid her down on the pillow.  She drew a finger over each of Marjana's eyes and whispered her to sleep.  "You're safe here, I'm proud of you for having such a clear head and saving both Ceca and yourself.  I'm going to go talk to Mrs. Stojanovic and make sure that man is apprehended.  I'll be back in a little while."  Kissing her daughter lightly on the forehead, Lejla picked up the groceries and walked to the kitchen.  

A knock sounded at the door and Vesna left the company of Ceca to answer it.  Mrs. Kadare was standing there with a determined look on her face.

"Have you called the police?  Did they catch him?"  Mrs. Stojanovic had prepared herself for the barrage of questions and answered as quickly as she was able to.

"I did, they were on their way to the scene about a half an hour ago.  I really don't know much else besides that."

"Where did it happen?  I need to go there right now."

Vesna looked worried.  "I don't know if that's such a good idea."

"Good idea be damned!  This is my daughter we're talking about and I trust you would do the same if someone hurt your Ceca!"  Mrs. Kadare was beginning to show the anger with a fire in her eyes.

"OK, OK… There is a café on the main road near the outskirts of the bazaar.  If they haven't carried him off, then he should be down the alley nearest to it."

Without a second thought, Lejla was out the door and into Tirana's urban atmosphere, taking the road at a full run.  In a matter of minutes she had reached the café that Mrs. Stojanovic had mentioned.  An ambulance and a police car were parked near the building but both were unattended.  Upon closer inspection, fresh bullet holes revealed that chances were likely the Serbian man had regained consciousness and was now shooting others in the vicinity.

_I'm not going to let this man hurt another soul.  He's going to regret ever walking into Tirana with malicious intent._  Lejla withdrew her rosewood wand from her belt and advanced carefully to the opening of the corridor down the side of the café.  One paramedic lay a dozen feet from her, unmoving.  Several shots rang out past the corner of the alleyway.  Lejla quickly moved down the passage and aimed her wand at the source of the gunfire.  Stealing a quick glance around the corner, a trio of policemen were trading shots with a man wielding an assault rifle, dressed in fatigues and a black handkerchief obscuring his face.  

Lejla did a brief check of her surroundings.  An escape route was nonexistent unless he could make it up to the second story and to the fire escape ladder.  It gave her an idea.  The police officers were running out of ammunition and morale as well.  Lejla would perform her duties as an Auror and arrest this man, wizard or not.  With speed she retreated from the passageway and sprinted for the building adjacent to the café.  

Pulling off another short burst, the metal dumpster two of the policemen were tightly pressed against shook as loud pinging noises followed the report of the assault rifle.  He had them pinned down and was certain his supply of ammunition far outweighed theirs.  With only police-issued pistols to enforce the law, they were no match for a bloodthirsty Serbian bent on producing as many casualties as his rifle could create.

Another spray of bullets erupted and one of the officers' exposed arms caught a round, ripping through muscle and tendons, blood spurting out the exit wound.  Falling to the garbage-littered ground, he clutched his arm in agony.  One of his partners made an attempt to drag him to safety, but it also made them open to an attack.  The Serbian used the rescue effort to mow down the second officer.

"Die you goddamn Albanians!"  Fully automatic fire pulsated from the rifle and into the prone police officers.  The two convulsed as bullet after bullet penetrated their bodies and left them awash in red, blood pouring out from the trauma.  The Serbian's complete attention on the murder of the officers left him completely unaware of Lejla Kadare's attack.  

The window shattered as she dove through it.  Spreading her arms and falling right towards the masked assailant, Lejla pointed her wand at the Serbian's weapon and yelled, "_Expelliarmus_!"  Her power forced the rifle far from his reach.  He looked up to find Lejla hurtling towards him; he didn't have enough time to react.  With enough inertia to stun him, she collided with his body and sent him sprawling into the garbage.  The man shook his head and tried to stand, but Lejla was faster.  

Aiming her wand at him again, she spoke.  The rosewood wand produced magical ropes that wrapped themselves around the Serbian's wrists and left no room for him to struggle.  He began to make the motion to spit at Lejla, but her fist made contract with the center of his face before he could get the saliva out of his mouth.  She put so much energy into the punch that his head snapped back and came into contact with the concrete wall, sending him to the ground.  

"The next time you think to harm an innocent child, you better be damned sure I'm not around to smash your skull right into the fucking concrete!"  The hateful stare Lejla gave the Serbian man was enough to make anyone reconsider activities of a criminal nature.  She let out an angry scream, grabbed him by the hair, and drove his face into the ground over and over again; a red smear appeared as blood began to pool beneath him and his facial bones were crushed from the impact.  The remaining police officer had to pull her off to cease the beating he was receiving at the hands of an extremely infuriated mother.  

"Lady, lady… You got him.  That was one hell of a daredevil stunt you pulled.  Where did you learn to do that?  Watching too many action movies, I bet."  He pulled the Serbian to his feet and walked him to the police car.  

"I'm not about to let anyone get away with the kind of brutality an asshole like he can exact because of a hatred for an ethnicity he knows nothing about."

The officer didn't disagree with Lejla's statement.  He had seen enough senseless violence in this city to understand there was a multitude of people who shared the Serbian's opinion that all Albanians should lie in unmarked graves.  

Lejla followed the officer to the police cruiser and made sure he was handcuffed and locked in the back of the vehicle.  She understood the repercussions of her using magic might very well be severe, but this was the man that had tried to force himself on her precious Marjana.  _To hell with the Ministry of Magic, some things are more important._

With that she walked back to the apartment to tell her daughter just what she had done for retribution and justice.


	3. A Brief Reprieve

Lejla stepped through the doorway and looked around the apartment for her daughter.

"Marjana, are you here?"

A distant, muffled response told Lejla that she was in her bedroom, most likely under the thick material of her comforter.

"Baby, how are you doing? Can you talk to me for a minute?" Lejla approached the bedroom at the end of the hall and examined the trail of clothing leading to Marjana's room.

"Did they catch him?" Icy blue eyes shone from a slit in the blanket, looking forward with an inquisitive gaze.

"Actually, I caught him. The police weren't... um... equipped well enough to apprehend him." Marjana's eyes moved down to her mother's hands, which were clasped together. "Is that dried blood?" Lejla looked down in surprise at her palms and knuckles, awash in red. She quickly hid her hands behind her back.

"Well, yes."

Lejla had no desire to explain to her child that she had just exacted a most violent revenge. Then again, she knew there was no way to get around the fact that Marjana was well aware her mother had just beaten the living hell out of the masked assailant.

"He needed to be subdued before being handcuffed and arrested."

"Subdued?"

Even though Marjana didn't understand the meaning of the word, she recognized her mother's tone well enough to know a full explanation was being withheld.

"I didn't want that terrible man to walk away thinking he was free from any kind of punishment."

Lejla nodded as if that was a sufficient statement to satisfy Marjana's curiosity and turned to walk to the bathroom.

Marjana did in fact feel some relief in knowing that the man who had attempted to violate her was most likely breathing through a plastic tube as a result of her mother's severe attack. Unfortunately, it still didn't change the events of an hour ago when the Serbian man had put his hands in places that no one had ever touched.

The most useful defense mechanism Marjana had grown to master was hiding all the terribly pain-inflicting emotions in a very private and closely guarded bottle in her chest. Today's horror was no exception. Burying herself deep in the soft, down comforter, Marjana took all the time she needed to slowly extract the memories of the man's rough hands, his clumsy groping, and the hurtful words he spoke to her. One by one, the painful thoughts, the helplessness, and the fear all ebbed into nonexistence.

A week passed and Marjana's mind was now completely clear of the nightmare that had occurred on the streets of Tirana. All of the negative feelings were carefully sealed and locked away in the heart-shaped amber container.

With a quick stretch and a few practice spells, Marjana was ready for the day. She prepared a large backpack for what she would invariably be hauling back to her room after the trip. Then, a brief stop at Ceca's was made to see how her progress was coming along.

"Almost ready?" Marjana asked after arriving in her friend's abode.

"Yeah, I've got a map, backpack, some extra clothes, dried fruit, bottles of water..."

"_Ceca_, we're only going to spend the night. We'll be back early tomorrow morning."

Ceca shrugged her shoulders. "All I'm doing is being prepared."

"I take it you want to go looking for trouble in Diagon Alley? " An impish grin crept across Marjana's face.

"Now why would I do such a thing?" Ceca took the comment personally and looked mildly affronted. "That's _your_ specialty, Marjana."

A recent memory was brought to both of their minds involving a poorly aimed _Levitation_ spell and a vegetable stand. Marjana and Ceca giggled at the thought of the poor woman who worked at the stand; trying to sort out crates of potatoes and leeks floating in the air was a frustrating task for any Muggle.

"Well I'm all packed, so whenever you get your emergency supplies ready for the trip we can go."

"Yes, yes... no more making fun of the person who actually comes prepared."

Ceca slung the backpack over her shoulder and gave her mother a kiss on the cheek goodbye.

Vesna was a bit nervous about her child going to Diagon Alley accompanied by only Marjana. She reassured herself, knowing full well that any place in London was far safer than Tirana. "Make sure you two follow the directions Marjana's mother wrote on the parchment."

"We will! Bye Mom!"

Ceca and Marjana walked out the door to locate the building Lejla had marked on the city map.

Maintaining a straight path through Tirana, the two girls made no effort to use any shortcuts through the alleyways. There was no hurry to get to the office Lejla's map was directing them to. Neither of them brought up the fact that they were actually avoiding sparsely populated areas as a direct result of the previous week's terrible event.

With their brisk pace it took about thirty minutes to reach the old, concrete structure. It lacked a sign or any other kind of markings with which people could use to identify the building. Marjana looked to her left and right, ensuring there weren't any wandering Muggles or otherwise unsavory characters lurking about.

"Everything looks fine to me. Let's go in." Marjana waved Ceca to follow as the door creaked open without either of them touching the knob. The two of them stopped dead in their tracks.

A calm male voice spoke in heavily accented British through the opening. "Oh, do come in. You're expected, of course."

Marjana and Ceca traded confused looks.

"I know your mother, Marjana... don't look so worried, child. I work for the Department of Magical Transportation in the Ministry of Magic and I owe Lejla a favor..." he coughed, "...or two."

Stepping through the doorway, Marjana examined the contents of the room. The facility was dimly lit and a fine layer of dust covered everything inside. The man was very scholarly looking. He had well-maintained dirty blond hair, black-framed glasses, a simple brown coat, and black dress shoes. His level of hygiene was very out of place in the room. With a stack of books under one arm, his librarian costume would be complete.

"Not to be rude, er - " Marjana looked to the man hoping he would produce a name and introduce himself.

"Do forgive me, I've been in a downright rush today. The name is Parsons, Adrian Parsons. I'm here to help you and dear Ceca to Diagon Alley."

Ceca spoke up this time. "How are we to go about that from a room like this?" She made a face as she ran a finger across the darkened wall.

"Actually, we're to go about it from _this_ room."

With Mr. Parsons's statement, he removed a wand from the inside of his jacket and waved it at the far wall. There was a shimmer and where only a wall stood a second ago, there appeared a door. He turned the knob and stepped through, motioning for the two girls to follow. Marjana and Ceca obliged, walking into a room much the same as the one they were previously standing in.

Where the first room had absolutely nothing in it, this one possessed a desk, lamp, and chair. The furniture was incredibly plain and looked as if it had never been used.

"This doesn't look much better than the first room," Marjana observed.

"Too right, but it isn't the room we're interested in, its _this_." Mr. Parsons opened the top desk drawer on the left side to reveal a pencil sharpener that looked as if it had been retrieved from the 1950's.

"A really old pencil sharpener?" Ceca was looking more and more displeased by the moment.

"Do give me a chance to explain, dear." Being careful not to touch it with his bare hands, Mr. Parsons gently laid the sharpener on the surface of the desk with the help of his coat. "This is a portkey. It takes the users from the location of the object to another point previously designated via magical means."

The language was getting a little too complicated for Marjana. Attempting layman's terms she asked, "The portkey will shoot us from here to Diagon Alley?"

"I don't care much for the word _shoot_, but yes, the portkey works to that effect. Shall we?" Mr Parsons gestured to the pencil sharpener. "Everyone touch the sharpener on my count. 1... 2... 3!"

The feeling of being pulled by the navel surprised Ceca and Marjana as they lurched forward into the portkey. The sensation was over almost as soon as it began and they appeared in a poorly illuminated room. Marjana wasn't prepared for the landing and stumbled a few steps before regaining her balance.

"Is this Diagon Alley?" Marjana ran a hand through her dark, wavy hair and looked disoriented.

"Of course it is, we're presently in a room on the second floor of the Leaky Cauldron."

Ceca and Marjana exchanged looks.

"Budge up you two. Don't act like I have no idea what I'm doing. Come along, come along." Mr. Parsons directed them to the door and headed out to the hallway.

The creaking floorboards announced their descent to the dining area on the first floor.

"Greetings, Tom. I trust you're fairing well."

Tom flashed him a large toothless smile. "Yeah, yeah. Business's been a wee bit slow, buh ahm managin'. Wat you doin' with dem youngsters?"

"I'm assisting them in their Hogwarts' textbook purchases. Their mothers weren't available for the travel."

"Ah see, ah see. Enjoy yerself, den."

The three walked from the brick passageway out into the sunlight which was a drastic change from the interior of the Leaky Cauldron. Marjana's eyes lit up with wonder as they darted from one scene to the next; wizards and witches of all ages were busy shopping, talking, and enjoying the comfort of Diagon Alley.

"What's the first thing you girls are interested in taking care of?"

"We ought to walk around a bit and gather our school supplies as we see the stores," Ceca suggested thoughtfully.

"A fine idea if I ever heard one." Mr. Parsons tentatively took a few steps forward with the hopes that the two of them would follow shortly thereafter.

Ceca tugged on Marjana's shirt. "Come on, we have a large list to take care of!"

Marjana rolled her eyes with disinterest and reluctantly gave into Ceca's pleading.

The Apothecary was the first store they came across. Purchasing a standard set of potion ingredients and scales, they quickly made their transactions as the cramped quarters and particularly noxious odor was making them both dizzy.

Both Marjana and Ceca examined Eeylops Owl Emporium as they drew near the entrance.

"What do you think? Owls for the two of us?" Marjana turned to Ceca.

"I think we should hold off on that. We're going to be lugging around books and all sorts of other things. Adding an animal to the load would certainly make walking through Diagon Alley much more difficult."

"Alright, alright," she conceded. "Later then."

They continued walking until Marjana spotted Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. Ceca was looking on the right side of the street where Flourish and Blotts stood when Marjana made her declaration.

"I don't know about you Ceca, but I need some _ice cream_!" Without any forewarning, Marjana took off running for the shop that was incredibly inviting to her.

Ceca lowered her head and shook it back and forth.

"Perhaps we should get the sweets break out of the way now so it doesn't spoil our activities later." Mr. Parsons smiled, hoping Ceca would agree with his idea.

Looking a bit crestfallen, Ceca replied, "Yeah, I suppose you're right."

By the time Ceca had entered Florean Fortescue's, Marjana was starting on her second sundae. Ceca was unable to fathom how the first sundae had been inhaled with such speed. The ice cream was being shoveled in so fast that a ring of dried chocolate and vanilla was growing on Marjana's mouth.

"Yerreallygaatrasundae!" Marjana smiled with a mouth full of whipped cream.

Ceca looked like she was ready to expel her breakfast.

"Please don't do that again."

She looked away from Marjana and proceeded to purchase a small vanilla ice cream with a cookie wedged in the dessert. Ceca casually ate while attempting to divert her attention from the voracious intake of ice cream that was happening right next to her.

The spoon hit the bottom of an empty glass and Marjana finally called it quits.

"Finished?" Ceca asked with mock enthusiasm.

"Yeah, one more sundae and I think I might be sick." Marjana paused to look at Ceca's dessert and raised her spoon. "Are you going to eat the rest of that?"

"_Of course I'm going to eat the rest of this!_" Ceca's eyes widened in horror. "Doesn't anything fix that appetite of yours?"

"I'm just kidding, Ceca, relax." Marjana leaned back in her chair and examined the sundae parlor.

After Ceca finished her vanilla ice cream, the two girls walked back out into the sunlight and greeted Mr. Parsons, who was patiently awaiting their return.

"Keen to get your textbooks now, girls?" The anticipation of entering Flourish and Blotts seemed to have been killing Mr. Parsons.

Ceca eagerly nodded while Marjana simply gave an affirmative grunt and raised her head..

The three entered Flourish and Blotts amid what appeared to be preparation for a special event of some kind. Staff members were feverishly setting up a large display table for a book entitled _Magical Me_.

Marjana picked up a copy and inspected the moving character on the cover. "Ever heard of this guy, Ceca?"

Ceca shrugged her shoulders. "Nope, no idea who he is. I imagine he's someone famous since there's all this excitement over a book."

Mr. Parsons chimed in and explained matter-of-factly. "According to his books, Gilderoy Lockhart has accomplished all sorts of magical acts of heroism. Defeating vampires, werewolves, and banshees are just a few of his exploits."

Marjana whistled. "You think its all true?" Ceca and Mr. Parsons eyebrows perked up. "I mean, just look at the guy. He seems a bit too prissy to get so physical with monsters."

Mr. Parsons laughed with uneasiness. "An interesting point you make, dear. I can't say I ever looked at it from that angle before. Regardless, it needn't be dwelled on too much." Changing the subject quickly he added, "We're here for school books, remember?"

Ceca began collecting all the books she needed for her first year at Hogwarts. She ran through her mental list while picking up each individual text. _A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_, _A History of Magic_, _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_, _The Standard Book of Spells Grade 1_.

Marjana was wandering around the bookstore, occasionally removing an interesting-looking book from the shelf and perusing the pages. The Hogwarts' textbooks found their way into her hands, albeit it far more slowly than Ceca's collection.

They concluded their purchasing and followed Mr. Parsons outside Flourish and Blotts with bags far heavier than they had been expecting. Their packs were now filled with eight books each and already beginning to strain their shoulders after a few steps.

"Come now, we just need to hop on over to Madam Malkin's for your school robes and we'll be all finished with today's shopping."

Marjana exhaled loudly and Ceca quickly elbowed her. "Try and be a little more polite, will you?"

Seconds after stepping through the doorway of Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, Ceca and Marjana were swiftly ushered to separate platforms for measurements by a middle aged witch wearing brightly colored, flowing robes. The two girls barely had time to utter a word or take a breath as a tape measure rapidly stretched out in all directions for shoulder length, waist size, and collar width. Madam Malkin tabulated the numbers on a piece of parchment and rushed to the back room. Half a minute passed and she produced two sets of Hogwarts' robes.

"Here you are m'dears... Have a good year at Hogwarts!" She took the two girls' payments and they were out the door before they could even say 'thank you.'

Marjana looked to Ceca. "Did that really just happen?"

"I'm sure she wasn't _trying_ to be rude, she probably deals with hundreds of students a day!"

"Yeah, that's true."

Not giving it another thought, Marjana walked farther down Diagon Alley. An adjoining alley on the left-hand side caught her attention. It was layered in shadows and made its ominous presence known in what was normally a bright and cheerful area. Marjana's footsteps ceased as she gazed down the corridor with deep-seeded curiosity. No more than fifteen feet passed before the alley was cloaked in darkness. Witches and wizards made it a point to give the mouth of the alleyway a wide berth.

Sensing Marjana's thoughts, Adrian Parsons explained what she was looking at. "This is Knockturn Alley. A rather dodgy place, if I do say so myself. People don't go in there looking for anything that would be considered 'good' by the average wizard. I think it best if we keep away from here. It can only lead to trouble."

With a nod, Mr. Parsons turned his back to Knockturn Alley and began walking away. Before he could take two steps, his head snapped forward and he collapsed in a heap on the ground.

Ceca and Marjana had no time to react as three men of average height all wearing black cloaks appeared out of nowhere to come to Mr. Parsons's aid.

"Up you go, that's a good chap." Two of them hoisted him up and began carrying him into Knockturn Alley. "Get you some right proper treatment, we will."

Fear gripped the two girls and intermingled with other emotions as a state of confusion set in. The situation was unraveling too fast for Marjana and Ceca to react. Without hesitation, the third man knelt near them and spoke.

"The gent looks a little under the weather... You two are a bit peaky yourselves."

Marjana was about to explain that she felt fine and it was only important that Mr.Parsons be taken care of when the man muttered a spell under his breath twice with his wand slightly outstretched from his cloak.

Only the first syllable of the word, _Stupefy,_ was heard before everything went black for Marjana and Ceca.


	4. A Death Eater's Promise

Marjana awoke bleary eyed with a brain that was a bit muddled - processing everything on a several second delay. She was in Diagon Alley getting her supplies for the first year at Hogwarts' School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Something had happened to Adrian Parsons when he fell down and three men rushed to his aid.

_I passed out after that?_

Cries for help snapped Marjana back to reality; Mr. Parsons and Ceca were here with her and in the same predicament. She made a move towards the shapes she could make out in the dim light, but was stopped prematurely - tightly wound ropes were hindering her ability to do more than stand up.

Marjana made an attempt to speak. Her voice croaked. "Ceca? Mr. Parsons? Are either of you hurt?"

"A touch sore, my dear. Those ruffians seemed to have dragged me through all manner of obstacles."

Adrian's language was a bit too eloquent for Marjana to fully comprehend, but she figured if he was talking that way he couldn't be injured too severely.

"Ceca?"

A much weaker reply came. "Here." She coughed and the sound of liquid hitting the floor reverberated in the chamber.

Marjana frowned. Ceca sounded far worse off than Mr. Parsons did.

"Are you hurt? Are you bleeding, Ceca?" There was some desperation in Marjana's voice. She was hoping the latter question wouldn't be answered with a _yes_.

"Yes, and I think so. My chest really hurts." Marjana closed her eyes thinking those men had done something to her. "Are you both tied up? Can anyone move around at all?"

Adrian spoke up. "It doesn't sound as if Ceca can do much in her present condition. As for me, I'm quite immobile as well. Fastened quite firmly to this wall, unfortunately."

Marjana took a minute to think of her options. _I can't even reach my pockets so that's no good... I'm not strong enough to break the rope... Screaming is definitely useless._ She resolved herself to the passing of time. Marjana wasn't ready to be thrown into this kind of situation with the ability to think of a quick, effective solution.

"Can either of you girls search your pockets for items of use?" Adrian offered.

"Sorry, Mr. Parsons. I can't reach mine."

"I... can't." Ceca was losing consciousness.

"Ceca? Ceca?" Marjana felt the tears roll down her cheeks. She didn't know if her best friend was dying or just exhausted from this ordeal. The feeling of helplessness was overwhelming her.

Adrian could see Ceca's dark outline slump towards the ground, partially suspended by the ropes pulling at her wrists.

"We really are in a spot of trouble. Marjana dear, how tight are your ropes tied? Do you think you can work your hand out of one of them?"

Marjana nodded. "I'll try."

She turned and wriggled her wrists as best she could, but to no avail. The more she tried to free herself of the bonds, the tighter they became. Marjana's attempt at escape was interrupted at the moment she was about to tell Adrian she thought the ropes had been enchanted.

A figure made his presence known in the middle of the three captives and spoke one word in an extremely insidious tone.

A spark was emitted from a wandtip and a candle blazed with a tall, thin fire that illuminated a five-foot circle ending just before Adrian, Ceca, and Marjana.

Looking around, Marjana could see that the chamber they were in was quite compact, but the ceiling reached far beyond her line of sight. The three of them were roped to large granite sculpted pillars, most likely holding up the large structure they were trapped in.

Two other figures stepped into the light. There were no distinguishing differences between the three of them as they were all wearing wide-brimmed hats and the same black cloaks.

"Gents, I do believe the little one ought to be woken up for this," demanded a voice of such a pronounced baritone it nearly shook the pillars around them from its deep resonance.

The first cloaked man nodded and took one step towards Ceca with his wand pointed in her direction.

"_Ennervate_!" Ceca shot up with a sharp intake of breath.

"Now that's more like it... Everyone's awake and ready."

The third man, who hadn't spoken yet, took his turn. He assumed a scholarly tone, explaining the situation with utmost precision. "We have yet to play the proper hosts and explain just what it is you three are doing here." He cleared his throat and dropped his arms to his sides. "Our Dark Lord has instructed us to locate all of you for the purpose of acquiring some information. It seems as though we have one particular person who has been a nasty thorn in our sides, slowing our progress in gaining more followers for the cause in the Balkan region. The Ministry of Magic has a department which has proven to be quite difficult in eradicating. The Aurors are our biggest problem at the moment and one of you little girls happens to have a mother by the name of Lejla Kadare. Now perhaps you know many details about her work and perhaps you don't. We will all find out soon enough." He paused to let the last statement hang in the air that suddenly became choked with fear.

The three cloaked figures drew their wands, each pointed at one of the three roped to the pillars. They pronounced the same spell as one. "_Crucio_!"

Adrian, Ceca, and Marjana writhed in agony. Every single nerve in their bodies were burned and electrocuted all at once. Marjana did her best to endure the seemingly limitless amount of pain while Ceca let out a piercing scream.

"And yes, we have our first victim!" The man using _Crucio_ on Ceca took one step towards her and leaned in. He questioned her with his smooth drawl. "Anything you wish to say, dear?"

"Leave... us... alone. We don't know anything." Ceca's mouth was parched and could barely utter her plea comprehensibly.

"Now you know you can do better than that, Ceca. We need solid facts, something we can use to take care of the dangerous Miss Lejla Kadare once and for all."

The man torturing Adrian Parsons made an attempt. "Surely with you working in the Ministry of Magic, you're aware of her comings and goings." The deepness of the man's voice made Adrian's chest tighten.

Adrian cringed from the after-effects of the pain coursing through his body. "Not particularly, no. I'm afraid my department and hers have little in common and I rarely have communication with Lejla."

"But you were with the two children here. Obviously your contact with Miss Kadare was more than just _rare_."

"I implore you to stop this madness once and for all. I know nothing of Lejla's activities within the Ministry of Magic and she is certainly not one to divulge information of that magnitude to her young daughter or friend."

The reality of Mr. Parsons' statement made a profound impact on Marjana. Her own mother had been withholding all sorts of information regarding the evils of the wizarding world. The Death Eaters were far more sinister and ruthless then she had ever thought possible. Marjana had been so used to Muggle violence that she had dismissed the concept as being present in the magical realm. Was the lack of important detail on this subject for her protection or her mother's?

The cunning voice cut in again. "Ah, but you see, that's where you may be muddling things up a bit. The Dark Lord believes that Miss Kadare could very well have passed on some secrets to either you, her daughter, or her friend for the purpose of protection or as blackmail in a desperate situation such as this."

Adrian could see under the wide-brimmed hat a malicious gleam in the man's eyes as the last statement escaped his mouth.

The man facing Marjana took his turn to make a point in his educated tone. "We have yet to hear from the one person who is the closest to Miss Kadare - Marjana." He went down on one knee and the light of the candle outlined a prominent nose and sharp jawline under his hat. "You can end all of this suffering right now. Your friend can go back to Tirana; Mr. Parsons can continue his work. Give us one bit of knowledge and all of this can be a bad dream."

"To hell with you," said Marjana. The phrase sounded completely unnatural to her, but she knew exactly how to use it. " I don't know anything and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you something that would get my mother killed."

Exhaling slowly, the man in front of Marjana took his time with his next choice of words. "You leave me few options, dear Marjana." He whirled around and aimed his wand at Ceca. "_Crucio_!"

This time, Marjana watched as her best friend screamed and pulled at the ropes as the pain violently ran through Ceca's body. She was brought back to the happy memories she had growing up with Ceca.

The air was cool and calm, unusual for the autumn months in Albania. Marjana and Ceca were running through the park in light parkas and singing _Jarnana _together, a childhood folk song.

As më jep nj'er ujë moj balluk' e prërë  
Me se të të japë trendafil me ere?  
Jarnana, jarnane, jarnana moj të keqëne  
O me dorënde tënde moj balluk' e prërë  
Dora m'u ndodh zënë trendafil me ere?  
Me se t'u ndodh zënë moj balluk' e prërë?  
Me unazëne tënde, trendafil me ere  
O me dorënde tënde moj balluk' e prërë  
Dora m'u ndodh zënë trendafil me ere?  
Me se t'u ndodh zënë moj balluk' e prërë?  
Me unazëne tënde, trendafil me ere

They chased each other around the trees, under the slide, and through the swings. Collapsing out of exhaustion, the two giggled and rolled around on the prickly grass until the sun began to set and they had to return home. It was a simple day where the two barely exchanged words; merely enjoying each other's company was enough to be happy. It was Marjana's most definitive memory of being Ceca's friend.

Now her friend was being tortured by Death Eaters and Marjana was absolutely powerless to stop the three evil men. She could only think of one solution to end Ceca's undeserved excruciating torment.

"All right! I'll tell you want you want to know."

The figure using the Cruciatus Curse ceased casting it. He turned back to Marjana.

"What did I tell you, gents? All it took was a little time and she came around."

"Don't tell them anything, Marjana!" pleaded Adrian. "Think of your mother! If its pain you want to inflict, use me! Leave the children alone, you mindless bastards!"

The man with the cultured tone turned to Adrian. "Now see here, old chap, you've made it perfectly clear that you can help us in no way for information on Lejla Kadare. Not to mention that Ceca is, shall we say, _incapacitated_ and having a difficult time forming syllables at the moment, that leaves Marjana as the only one who can save all of your lives with some very carefully thought-out words."

Another man came dangerously close to Mr. Parsons, using the severe depth in his tone to frighten the Ministry of Magic worker. "As for the _mindless _bit, that's well out of order. We know exactly what we want and just how to get it. It isn't your namby-pamby 'protect the Muggles from what could scare them' nonsense. Rather, the opposite seems much more appealing to us. Terrify them and put them in their place. Make sure they know just who wields the power in this world. Works much the same for any witches or wizards who don't believe in the Dark Lord's might. Join or die; it's that simple."

"So Parsons, feel like dying today?"

"Not especially, you wretched thing."

Venom dripping from his words, he refocused the three on the original task. "Back to Marjana - leave the bloke to think his options over."

The two men near Adrian moved back to positions in front of Marjana and began questioning her. "Care to tell us a thing or two about your Mum now, love?"

Marjana nodded. "What do you want to know?"

"For starters, where does she work?"

She took a moment to think out the address. "61 Albemarle Street, Mayfair, London."

The figure with the sly voice bent his head in the direction of another. "And the names of any Death Eaters she is currently looking for?"

Marjana hesitated. "Mortimer Krause... Karl Svensson... Rory Breakwater."

_Lies. The girl tells only lies._

"Are you certain, my Lord?"

_Do you question me?_

"No, no... Not at all."

Looking around, Marjana tried to locate the source of the hollow, serpentine voice. It was coming from all around them and from nowhere. _Who was that? How did he know?!_

"I guess that settles it, then. We gave you the chance, Marjana. It's a shame you had to do this to Ceca," the baritone voice said.

The three figures simultaneously leveled their wands at Ceca and yelled _Crucio_.

"For the love of... "Adrian tried to lunge forward, hoping his momentum would free him from the ropes. It only succeeded in snapping him backwards into the column.

Marjana could no longer choke back the tears, they flowed from her eyes freely as she watched her best friend flail back and forth, tightening all of her muscles in the worst agony imaginable. When Marjana thought she could no longer endure the screams, it was over. Ceca's lifeless body hung from the ropes holding her to the granite pillars while blood poured from her wrists and stained the floor as the bonds cut deeply into her flesh from fighting so fiercely.

Two figures moved back to the middle, where the candle continued to reach high into the cavity of the room. The third man returned to Marjana. He waved several large pins in front of her, about a foot and a half in length.

The scholarly voice spoke. "These little things make short work of anyone who says torture doesn't produce results. They aren't just any old pins; they're enchanted so the wound seals - all the pain and no blood loss. You can thank our Dark Lord for that idea. He's a man of many mysteries and many wonders." The cloaked figured finished with relish. He grabbed one of her hands and clasped it, palm to palm. "Ya gonna love this." He flashed a sharp, toothy grin and ran one pin straight through his hand, exiting Marjana's.

The pain was excruciating; it felt as if a fire of absolute precision was burning in the middle of her palm, from the surface to the muscles inside. Marjana couldn't scream and couldn't cry. The agony was so unbearable that it sapped her willpower to make any resistance, vocal or otherwise.

"How dare you hurt a defenseless girl like that?! It's inhuman! She's not yet twelve, man!" Adrian's cries for the torture to cease were met with a swift, yet brutal response: one of the other two men removed his hat, dusted the brim and punched Adrian with a fist so strong that it could have been made of stone. A loud _crunch_ echoed through the chamber and the floor again became covered in blood as Mr. Parsons slumped to the hard surface.

"That leaves only you, Marjana. Since you refuse to be forthcoming with anything useful, we're going to have to do something a little more... permanent," the sharp toned man said. He looked to the ceiling as if he were expecting something to descend.

_Give her the leash. _

Marjana really wasn't following the conversation much anymore; again there was a bodiless voice and why they were discussing a 'leash' was far beyond her comprehension.

The three men fanned out around Marjana and held their wands at chest height. They began to murmur a strange incantation. She was unable to make out any of the words they spoke, but the air became charged with electricity and she felt the foreboding that whatever spell they were about to cast would most certainly be Dark Magic.

The man on her right stepped forward and grabbed her wrist hard. He jerked it high above her with the flesh of her forearm exposed to the energy rippling through the air. Marjana's skin began to tingle and a dark outline started tracing itself in the shape of a skull. The object raised itself from her arm and she could hear the murmuring of the incantation grow more forceful. The mark on her forearm started to throb; a dull ache at first that quickly progressed to a sharp stabbing pain. It now felt as if Marjana's arm we being severed at the elbow. She tried to fight the man's grip, but it was like a vice. She could barely stand the pain, let alone move her arm from its present position.

Electricity erupted from the ends' of two wands and jumped to her forearm. Marjana's arm was being rolled on a bed of nails and she watched as the blood coursing through her veins quickly made its way to the surface of her skin. Her forearm grew hot and all at once many different painful sensations were overwhelming Marjana. Tears were falling to the floor as she did her best to withstand whatever Dark Magic the Death Eaters were performing on her.

The energy crackled and Marjana was thrown back into the pillar as a thousand different images struck her at once and played themselves out in front of her eyes. _Lord Voldemort in the forest. Robbing animals of their willpower and souls. Coexisting in the body of a weak-minded imbecile. Harry Potter. The Philosopher's Stone nearly within his reach. Then, disaster. An unforeseen consequence of inhabiting a body and not controlling one of his own. Not enough power to combat the strength of love in Harry. Expulsion._

Marjana was flooded with feelings: anger at those trying to stop him, betrayal of his Dark Powers at the most crucial moment, hatred of the family that destroyed his humanity, and hunger for something that would leave his mark on this world.

With the last scene moving in grainy slow motion, Marjana witnessed Lord Voldemort's strongest wish: the death of Harry Potter. _Lying at his feet, The Boy Who Lived bled profusely and remained still. Harry's body gave up the fight to cling to life and all hopes of Voldemort's destruction vanished with the extinguishing of a legendary young wizard's flame._

Every last thought of Lord Voldemort's escaped from Marjana's mind nearly as quickly as they had previously entered. The sorcery was complete and she was left with only the vestiges of the previous rush of memories and desires. She cocked her head to examine the right forearm that now ached a great deal. A hideous black skull with a snake leaping forth from the mouth was now permanently etched into her soft, pale flesh.

The heavy activity of the last thirty minutes had left Marjana incredibly drained. She wanted nothing more than to sleep for a long, long period of time. Her eyes began to flutter and droop until they were thrown open again by the realization that one of the men approached her and hunched over to acquire her complete attention.

The man stood a mere foot away from her and met her eyes with his bottomless ones. The booming voice spoke with finality. "Now we can't go lettin' you off without anything to take home to Mum." With that statement, he doffed his hat and head-butted her in one succinct motion. He pulled away from her and jerked his head to the right, making the vertebrae in his neck resound with a sharp _crack_. Marjana was left dazed, blurry, black-eyed and bleeding heavily from the nose.

The man propped her head up by placing his fingers under her chin. Blood was cascading down Marjana's mouth and pooling in his palm. "I make you this promise, Marjana Kadare. You will never go anywhere without the Dark Lord at your side. He will follow you in dreams and in your every thought. No one around you whom you hold close will ever be safe in your company again."


End file.
